Chapter 4
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My eyes widened in horror.
"What have you done to my mother?"
"What are you raving about now?"
Before I could reach Lily, Julian and Zachary formed a protective wall in front of her.
"They're just some pearls, for God's sake."
"Those aren't ordinary pearls! They're my mother's death tears—crimson with sacred patterns. She shed them as she died!"
"Oh, those? From your mother's death? I thought they were pretty, so Daddy gave them to me. Simple as that."
Lily widened her eyes in mock innocence, but couldn't hide the gleam of satisfaction within them.
She knew exactly what she was doing.
I tried to scream obscenities, but the drug had paralyzed my jaw muscles.
To them, my desperate struggles looked like nothing but baseless hysteria.
"Ignore her, Lily. We'll have her scale soon enough to cure you."
"It's time."
After settling Lily comfortably, Julian turned his attention to me.
Gone was any pretense of gentleness—he advanced on me like a predator.
I squeezed my eyes shut and tried to retreat, but the wall blocked my escape.
He'd anticipated my resistance and clamped his hand around my throat.
"Playing hard to get now, are we?"
"Don't pretend you don't enjoy my touch. Your body always betrays you."
His burning touch pressed against my skin.
He yanked me against him, his body grinding against mine.
"Tara, you have no choice in this."
What followed was nothing short of assault.
No gentle caresses this time, not even a moment's respite.
His only goal was to force my scale to emerge.
"Ah!"
A pained whimper escaped my lips.
"Please… stop… it hurts so much…"
He noted my pain with satisfaction, never pausing his brutal assault.
"Almost there."
What followed was even more violent.
Tears of rage and humiliation blurred my vision.
Midway through, they forced more medicine down my throat. I could feel my heat cycle beginning to trigger.
"Now! The scale is emerging—it's at its most potent!"
The man I once loved with all my heart loomed over me, targeting the most vulnerable spot on my body.
And sank his teeth into my flesh.
